Apparatus for the removal of snow



April 10, 1928. 1,665,503

R. P. M CLAVE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF SNOW Filed May 5. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l n W n q VII/A [5] [5! 51: Eli.

A TT ORNE Y April 10, 1928.

R. P. M CLAVE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF SNOW 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5 1925 INZQY/ZZORS 4%,; )1

ATTORNEY April 10, 1928. 1,665,503 M R. P. MCCLAVE ET AL APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF SNOW Filed May 5. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

- UNITED STATES I a 1,665,503 PATENT OFFICE.

nosoon PARKE MCCLAVE Ann srnrnnn woon MQGLAVE, an, or cnirr'srnn, NEW

I JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL SNOW.

Application filed May 5,

This invention relates to a system and apparatus for the removal of snow.

It is becoming increasingly important to quickly and economically remove snow from city streets. The present way of removing snow in the cities is to plow or shovel the snow into piles and to remove the snow piles via wagon or auto truck. This method is slow and expensive. Attempts have been made to dispose of the snow by dumping it into the sewers but in most cities the surface drainage systems have been. designed to take care of the rainfall but are not of suflicient area to accommodate the same precipitation of water in the form of snow because of the greater volume. Only an amount of snow can be safely dumped into the storm sewers that will be melted by the water passing through or partially melted to form slush and as the water in the winter time has a low temperature it is incapable of melting any great volume of snow. Of course where the velocity of the water in the storm sewer is greater a heavier slush can be moved.

Apparatuses have been devised to melt the snow from the top but such devices are expensive, unwieldly and extremely inefficient. Snow is not a good conductor of heat, but the inefficiency is primarily due to the capillary attraction of the snow for the melted water and the consequent freezing again as the water passes down through the snow. These physical characteristics necessitate the immediate separation of the melted snow or water from the remaining snow which. can only be done by applying the heat principally to the base of the snow pile while it is support-ed above the heating medium and draining oil the water as the snow melts.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide asystem of snow disposal utilizing a heating medium furnished from a central source of supply and having apparatus located at predetermined points under ground to melt the snow or ice from the bottom into slush or water and the disposal of the resultant slush or water by means of the sewer system. Another object of this invention is to melt snow and dispose of same economically. Still another object of this invention is to provide a method of snow removal and conversion which can utilize gas, oil, steam or electricity as a heating 1925. Serial No. 28,176.

medium. A further object of this invention 'is to provide conversion chambers wherein the snow may be melted with relatively low heat losses and economically.

Referring. to the drawings:

Figure 1, is a cross sectional view of a conconversion chamber wherein the heating medium is steam.

Figure 5, is a cross sectional view of the conversion chamber wherein the heating medium is electricity. 7

Figure 6, is a cross sectional view of a conversion chamber wherein the heating medium is oil.

In carrying out our invention we propose to provide a system of melting chambers 1, located adjacent the curb or gutter and having a connection or drain 2 to the sewer 3. The number of chambers 1 in any one unit are dependent upon the area that they are required to serve. Within the curb line or sidewalk, we provide a manhole chamber 4 communicating with the melting chambers 1. The heating medium supply to melt the snow and ice is preferably furnished from a central source of supply. The heating medium may be either gas, steam, oil or electricity, and is delivered to the manhole chambers through leads 5 from the supply lines or mains 6.- Cut off valves in the case of oil, gas or steam are located in manhole chambers 4 in leads 5 to cut olf any unit in case of repairs being required by the unit. Meters 7 if desired, may be placed in manhole chamber 4 in lead 5.

Chambers 1 and 4 are formed of masonry and have metal covers, preferably of cast steel, 8 and 9 respectively, which fit in and are supported by metal frames, also preferably of cast steel, 10 and 11' respectively. Covers 8 and 9 are preferably hingedat 12 and. 13 respectively to the frames 10 and 11. Secured to the underside of the covers, we

provide a hinged frame of rods 14, see Figure 3, to form a railing about the openings when covers 8 and 9 are raised to prevent pedestrians fromwalking into the openings when the covers 8 and 9 are raised. The frame of rods 14, has legs 15 hinged to frame 14 and adapted tofit into holes in the cast steel frames 10 and 11. t

Within chamber 1, we .providea metallic pot 16 supported by the masonry walls 17. Pot 16 does not extend to the bottom of chamber 1. The space 18 below pot 16 communicates with manhole chamber 4:, and per- 'mits an attendant to make any required repairs to the valves or piping. Pot '16 drains to sewer 3 through outlet 2 adjacent to the bottom of the pot.

Below covers 8 we provide a grating formed of removable metal rods 19 which are supported byand rest in slots 20 formed in frames 10. A strap 21 is bolted above slot-s 20 and end of rods 19 to frame 10 to hold rods 19 in position. Rods 19 function to preventlarge lumps of snow or ice from being shoveled into melting pot 16 and 'to prevent any individual from accidentally falling into melting pot 16. The wall of spot 16converge near the top, in other words, pot 16 has 'a neck 22. The purpose of neck :22 is to prevent arching iof thesnow and the consequent formation of ice on the sides above the melting point.

f Although the heat may be applied to the underside "of pot 16 as shown in Figure 5, it has been found more economical in the-case of gas or steamto applythe heat within pot 1-6. j

In the case of .gas, we provide a series of burners 23, each row of which are fed by a 13111624.- from lead 5. Each row is-equipped with individual shut off valves 25 and pilot light 26. Above each row of burners, we provide a metallic shield 27 to protect the flame from the snow or melted water and between shields 27, we provide a screen 28 of relatively fine mesh to prevent unmelted snow from dropping to the bottom of pot 16 and between burners '23. We provide a screen 29 to support the snow above shields 27.

It will "be noted that the snow is melted from the underside and as fast as melted the water runs down over the shields 27 to the bottom of pot 16 and out to sewer 3 through outlet 2.

We have described the device particularly with reference to the use of as a heating medium, but We do not desire to be limited in that respect and we have shown modificat'ions wherein the device is adapted to the use of steam, oil and electricity as heating mediums. In the case of steam, see Figure 4, coils 30 being in two planes the one above the other but running in differentdirections. In this connect-ion we do not desire to be limited in the arrangement of steam coils in the heating chamber to the form shown, since if desired, additional coils may be placed around the walls .of'pot 16. Then I electricity is the source of heat, we prefer to provide heating coils 3 1 underneath pot 16, see Figure 5.

In the case ofoil the only difference is that the burners .33 are adapted for that type of fuel.

The operation of the device is as follows: Upon a snowfall the heating medium from the central source of supply is turned on in the mains 6. Attendants eo-operating with others operatlng mechanical snow plows or shovelers turn on the valves in manhole Covers 8 of chamber 1, are lifted and the snow is plowed or shoveled into pot 16, where it is melted and the water drains to sewer 3. \Vhen the section served by chambers l is cleaned the attendant closes the shut off valve in lead 5, :or throws the electrical switch, climbs out of the manhole chamber 4 and lets down the covers 8 and 9 r and proceeds tothe next battery of chambers 1.

What we claim is: V r

1. In a snow disposalsystem,a chamber, a melting pot in said chamber, an opening to the surface of the ground from saidmeltjacent the cover, screens below said grating in said melting pots, means for heating the bottom portion of said melting pot below said screens and meansfor draining the melting pot. a

. 3. In a snow disposal system, a chamber, a melting pot in said chamber, saidmelti-ng pot communicating with the surface of the street, a removable cover plate for said melting pot, removable bars in said melting pot adjacent said cover plate,removable screens in said melting pot, burners at the bottom of said melting pot and below said screens, a shield for said burners above them and adjacent the screens, screens between said shields, pilot lights for lighting said burners, and means for draining said melting ot. i p Signed at Cliflside in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey this 2nd day of May A. D. 1925.

. ROSCOE PARKE MOCLAVE.

STEPHEN WOOD MOCLAVE, JR.

chambers 4 and light the burners, or turn on the steam valves or the electrical switch; 

